New Order
---- La Terre Landing Pad A large section of the forest of giant ferns has been cleared here. The ground is perfectly flat, and covered with hard, grey plas-ment. The landing pad is rectangular in shape, with each side several hundred meters long. The wide flat space tends to make the light purple sky seem even larger. The perceptive obsever might notice the small specks of birds in the sky above the lush fern forest. The air is warm and humid here, and small white clouds drift through the lavender sky, occassionally dropping a few moments worth of warm rain. OOC Notice: Outside of the LTDF, carrying weapons will require having a La Terre Weapons Permit. If you are discovered with a weapon and no permit allowing it, fines will be levied against your character. If you wish to sneak a weapon past this point without a permit, please contact a staffer. ---- Jantine blinks a little, sighing, he leans back on the Mercy's ramp, propping himself up with his elbows "Jeez...you're just like Lan, I'm thanking you, take it." his eyes close, apparently shutting out the majority of the people on the pad. The sky is freckled with stars, the twinkling of each adding a singular amount of light to the otherwise dark night. Defense Force patrols move about the landing pad in usual fashion, from time to time stopping to address a group of citizens or tourists. All in all: a rather peaceful evening. A momentary flux of passengers arriving down the path from the shuttle landing zone passes across the landing pad, most heading on toward the terminals. Nathan's among them, carrying a brown backpack over one shoulder and walking with his head down and shoulders up. THe hatch to the Faux opens up, allowing her kapitan to step onto the ramp and down towards the plascrete. Ace pauses, looking over the landing pad through mirrored sunglasses, armed as usual, raising an eyebrow as she sees the crowd gathered. Kolek walks down the ramp, following after Swifty and Ace, and glancing around with a yawn, reaching for a cigarette, only to find the box empty, he mutters, "Hoop." Before looking around some more. Nixkamich exits from the Faux shortly after Ace and Swifty, standing at the top of the ramp. He takes a good long look to survey the surronding landing pad in front of him before heading down to the base of the ramp. He stands slightly on the guard, standing behind and to the side of the Kaptain and the Demarian. "...I'm just..." Ruin stops, sighs. "Happy things are going that well. And surprised. Just because I try, doesn't mean I succeed. Good situation to succeed in." Carefully, he closes distance again and clasps Jan's shoulder briefly. "You've just never been *that* pleased with me in your life." Leodhais blinks and then sits down very carefully again next to Scheur. Tiffany doesn't notice the look from Swifty, nor does she pay attention to those disembarking from the Faux or even the crowd near the Star or Teamhair. However, her attention is snatched by one of the Defence Force soldiers when he walks past, then a faint smile forms on the woman's face. Volouscheur says, quietly, ~There's a...lot of people here, aren't there?~ She looks around, blinking quietly, aura matte green. Jantine opens his eyes, rolling his head to the side to look at Ruin "We're friends, Ruin. And lately, I've been a pretty awful friend. I mean...you took me on, you put up with me, and then...even when I failed, you gave me a second chance. Thank you." he says with a light smile, before closing his eyes again and relaxing on the ramp. He seems to be ignoring the majority of the people on the pad. A single stone can alter the peaceful surface of a calm lake, sending ripples of chaos in every direction. A single stone can alter a current of wind, dividing it so what was once steady becomes anarchy of flows. A single stone. It now rains boulders. In a matter of seconds, the sky becomes plagued with descending vessels across the landing pad. Some linger only moments above the ground, allowing groups of uniformed men to climb down ropes. Others streamline past the area, flying straight towards the city of New Paris. Fire blasts ensue between the arriving parties and the Defense Force patrols, a symphony of shots that reaches its crescendo with the screams of bewildered civilians and holds the highest note when a non-military spaceship trying to escape the battle is blown up by a number of those from the invading force. Goldenfur now manages to place both cruthes on his back, he then starts to go the fastest as he can using all his remaing members, toward Swiftyfoot, probably he thinks that she is safe, as soon as he is near the Faux, he stays on the ground, without standing, and yells "Ace, Swifty, what the hell is going on here?" Instincts kick in as Ace dives for cover behind the nearest crates, dragging Tiffany down with her if she can. "EVERYONE GET DOWN!" she shouts, reaching for her gun and powering it up. Ruin looks up, sees battle...roars. "Crew to your ships! Armor on if you've got it, hide if you don't! Battle capable guard the ramps and someone dig the doctors out of the medical bay!" And he's not wasting time himself, either, grabbing Leodhais' hand and bolting for the nearby Teamhair. In an instant, Nix's PAR is gripped inbetween his hands, and taking a low defensive crouch near the Faux's ramp, using the ramp itself as cover. "By the Great Spirits." he swears under his breathe, pulling the closest person nearest to him under the ramp with him Leodhais blinks, his expression going blank, as he takes a hold of Scheur if he can before Ruin bolts, taking her with him. It didn't require somebody shouting a warning for Nathan to pick out a solid landing strut attached to a nearby ship and try to flatten himself against and behind it in response to gunfire. He shifts his backpack off his shoulder and digs inside to produce a pistol, his thumb sweeping over the activator to power it up as it comes into the open. At the sight of descending vessels, Tiffy lifts her head and studies them intently. "Oh... Must be the filming of the new..." She trails off when the firing starts, color draining from her face. The laptop is abandoned to clatter on the landing pad, as she throws herself over the back of the crate. "Sweet fucking JESUS!" Jantine sits up and opens his eyes at the sound of explosions and Ruin's, well, roar. "Fuck, where's Lan?" are the first words from his mouth, as he gets up and runs up the Mercy's ramp towards the airlock. In Demarese: Swiftfoot is right behind Ace, or rather right beside her, diving behind the crates. She draws one of her pistols as well, turning the power to the weapon on with a practiced flick of her thumb. "Should we get back on board the Faux?" she inquires of the Ungstiri beside her, apparently lapsing into her native language. She is of course also peering up over the crates to get a look at the situation. Volouscheur's aura flares silver and she doesn't resist as Leodh pulls her along. If anything, she starts trying to pull *him* up the ramp and into the ship. Kolek dives for the crates, cursing, revolver coming within his hands, looking over the crates, teeth gritting together. "What the -hoop-?!" He surveys the scene. Myzata is for a moment hypnotized by the chaos overhead. With his cigarette barely clinging to his lips, he hears the hollars of the nearby ships crews, waking him from his daze. Skittering behind a large crate in the direct area of the DCV Faux, he curses with a mild shaking of his head. Goldenfur manages to join Ace and Swiftfoot, in fact he stays behind them and asks "Hey, can someone here loan me a energy pistol?" he seens to be really attentions to what is going on, with both ears raised and peering around. Amidst such chaos, it is hard to assess numbers, yet one thing should be clear to the detailed observer who takes the time to measure such things: the invading force is greater in number than the local military. The darkened sky is suddenly alight with firefights between ships, battles which are clearly happening in local space as well. All over, vessels whose crew tried to escape are falling back down in flames. The assailants do not seem overly concerned with who their attacks bring down: both civilians and soldiers alike are taken. A squadron of the grey uniformed men now gradually sweeping across the area moves towards the Faux, rifles held high. "Do not involve yourself in the fight and no harm will come to you!" the leader announces, clearly stating it aloud for anyone in the vicinity. A young woman, no older than thirty, leaves her hiding place and runs -- covered in blood and screaming for help -- towards the squadron. She is brought down by fire almost immediately. "Everyone remain calm!" Bitter irony. "HEY!" Nathan shouts from where he's uncertainly protected by a narrow shaft of metal, his eyes on that yellow-haired Demarian he met the day before on Ungstir. "HEY!" he repeats, and hefts the pistol in his hand, gesturing that he's about to toss it that way. Nixkamich crouch-walks slowly over to the crates, his PAR is the ready position, to the rest of his crew. Reaching the crates, he flattens hims agaisnt it. Listening to the incoming orders, he stays silent looking to his Kaptain for orders. In Demarese: Ace looks over to Swifty, "For now, we hold our ground. If they think the ship is a threat, they will blow us off the landing pad." She looks to her crew, "Stay here and hold your fire..." She looks over at the approaching armed force, "Would help if you would identify yourselves!" she shouts over. Ruin comes back out of the Teamhair in a flak jacket, with a pistol of some sort belted at his waist. It isn't drawn, though, and the engineer's rather pale as he surveys the field. "Anyone who can - wounded to the Star. Get the treatable to the Star." He himself is scanning the sky as well as the ground, trying to identify the attackers. Leodhais comes back out after Ruin, zipping up his own flak jacket, his expression still blank. Myzata pays little mind to the guards as he now pulls hard on the last remainder of his smoke. Looking around anxiously, the Timmie moves his eyes from spot to spot from the cover of his crate, apparently looking for a stray weapon. Tiffany slowly turns her head, peering towards the Timonae and then the Qua as she picks herself up off the ground, her head snapping back in the direction of the Faux and the crew. "Don't you dare get me killed," she warns everyone within ear shot. She slowly turns to peer over the top of the crate, but a grimace is given at the woman who is brought down. The Mercy's airlock opens back up, and Jan steps out, cautiously. He's put on a flak jacket as well, and has a stun pistol, and what looks like another energy pistol holstered at his waist, hands near them. He doesn't stray too far from the Mercy's airlock, crouching down just outside. He's glancing around, looking between Ruin and the attackers. Identifying the attackers becomes rather tricky now. While it is clear that the original invaders wore grey uniforms of a different shade than those of the Defense Force, one fact should becomes clear to those who take the time to pay attention: many of the local military power are fighting alongside the assailants. Meanwhile, the squadron near the Faux continues to spread out. They do not seem concerned with those they see hiding. "You," one of them tells Ruin, gesturing with his weapon and stepping carefully over the corpse of a child. "Find cover. Not safe there. It will all be over soon." A man in a suit seems to share Myzata's choice for protection and quickly moves to crouch near him. "A mess! We're going to die!" Goldenfur turns his head toward the ungstiri that seems to going to throw a weapon, quickly he shouts "Do not that!" while he shake his head, in hope that the newcomer on AOP will not throw a weapon right after a guard telling them to do not fight back. In Demarese: The orange-furred Demarian nods at Ace in reply, still crouching behind the crates. "Good point," she admits, then turns suspicious eyes back on the men in gray uniforms. That powered-up pistol still sits in Swiftfoot's paw, held carefully at the ready. "Any idea what's going on here, chief? They all look the same to me." Nixkamich does as instructed, keeping his PAR powered up, but held pointed downward, the stock held firmly to his shoulder. He does take a moment to look over the crate at the scene on the landing pad, looking quite grim at the destruction on ground and in the air. His eyes narrow watching the attackers movement and blinks. "They fight with them?" he asks more to himself than anyone else. In Mierznykovy, Kolek says, "Kapitan? What's your orders? Perhaps one should go for the Faux turrets?" He looks about the scene, behind the crates, revolver in hand. "What the -hoop- is going on..." In Mierznykovy, Kolek says, "Kapitan? What's your orders? Perhaps one should go for the Faux turrets?" He looks about the scene, behind the crates, revolver in hand. "What the -hoop- is going on..." Myzata shifts over slightly as he glances at the man whom has just taken cover with him. Continueing to peer over the side of his crate, the Timmie addresses the man. "No sense in complaining about it. We're in the situation were in for a reason. Gotta make the best of it." Looking directly at the man for the first time, he begins to inquire. "Who are you, and what in her lady's name is going on?" Nathan's face turns a sour expression at Goldenfur's reply, and he sets his pistol on the ground to rummage inside his pack for a belt and holster rig. He swings this around his hips, buckling the belt at the waist and the holster's anchor around his thigh, and then slips his pistol into it while peering cautiously around the edge of the strut he's taken shelter behind. Ruin doesn't take cover. He doesn't, actually, *move*. Much, anyway. He drops to one knee, skin several shades whiter than it had been moments before. Leodhais attempts to move Ruin, his own nerves acting against him - he does, however, kneel down next to him, sort of covering him with his own body, dragging him slooowly back into the airlock. Tiffany continues to peer over the lip of the crate, trying to stand up a bit more to see where her laptop is without exposing herself to fire. "Oh fuck's sake," she complains, craning her neck as she tries to find it. The fighting is ignored. Jantine slowly creeps backwards, back into the Mercy's airlock. He moves to the side, offering him some protection, as well as, mostly, hiding him from view. He does peer out occasionally though, mainly in the direction of Leodh and Ruin, and the attackers, worry on his face. "Looks to be civil war," Ace says to her crew, "Is none of our business. Keep your heads down and stay out of it but defend yourselves and the ship if necessary. So long as they choose to leave us out of it, have no cause to pick one side over another." Volouscheur attempts to help Leodh, the Vollistan trying to pull Ruin back into the airlock. Her aura is a bright, bright silver, laced with streamers of black, chestnut, orange, and white; all of this just serves to make her a really *big* target, which...probably isn't at all helpful at the moment. "I heard them talking! I... I didn't think I was hearing it right! I..." The man beside Myzata shakes his head, tears filling his eyes. "Some Defense Force people. They're all in this together. People are dying everywhere! I just saw one of their ships actually land on some guy!" The fighting seems to be dying down, if the gradual decrease of blasts is any indication. The same squadron who originally addressed the people near the Faux returns, now visibly calmer. Ruin, Leodhais and Scheur are not as lucky, though. The original warning soon becomes a palpable threat as stray fire begins to pelt the area near the Teamhair's airlock. Goldenfur notices that the Faux crew is clearly ignoring him talking with them, so he decides to join his crew, since Ruin is on the other side of the landing pad, it is not safe to move there, so he moves toward the nearest crewmate, that is Nathan, but as soon as he sees the stray fire near the Teamhair he suddenly starts to go toward the Teamhair, he go the fast as he can and only say "Oh shit... Not there! Not there!" In Demarese: Swiftfoot nods in agreement with Ace, eyes narrowing as she looks over the situation once more. "S'what I was thinking." She looks over in the direction of the Teamhair, lip curling slightly. "Idiots. Get -inside-..." she mutters to nobody in particular, shaking her head. She groans and puts her free paw to her forehead as Goldenfur breaks from cover. "Fuck. Get back here, Goldenfur! Stay down, dammit!" she calls after him, ears laying back and tail visibly lashing. "HEY!" Nathan shouts at Goldenfur again, this time with a sense of high alarm when the Demarian breaks cover. He shouts it one more time when the creature alters its course -into- heavy fire, but even as he shouts he's breaking cover himself and rushing to intercept the big cat-man. Kolek lets out a long sigh, watching the other crew. "Hoopin' idiots." He grumbles, poking his head out every other moment. "They -want- to get shot?" Nixkamich nods at Ace, but all he reaction he gives, too concerned at watching over the ensuing battle. The PAR has yet to leave his hand, as keeps a lookout over the Faux. He ducks slightly, watching the men open stray fire over the Teamhair. Myzata listens intently to the man and nods. "Sir, please calm yourself. Try and tell me exactly whats going on. Is this simply civil war, or something more?" As the Timmie finishes, he once again glances around several times from behind his crate. Ruin apparently gets somewhat of a grip, trying to get the others out of the way. It's possible people shooting his ship had something to do with it. "Back...inside. Hoopin' fools. *Back inside.*" Tiffany appears to consider laying down so that she can scoot around the outside to get the laptop. But, she seems to forget that idea, the dress and all. However, as she sits down and turns her head, and sees the Golden target start his run, her jaw actually drops. "Wow... That is stupid," she mutters to herself. The worry on Jan's face is definately growing. The stun pistol at his side is drawn, put he keeps it pointed to the floor. He bites his lip, looking back into the Mercy, and then to Ruin, Leodh and Scheur, then to the attackers. He repeats this circuit, worry steadily growing, and that seems to have the majority of his attention. The man doesn't leave the cover of the airlock however, whatever's holding him back seems to be a good deal stronger than anything pulling him out. Ace shakes her head as Goldenfur limps his way towards Ruin and the Teamhair, "Hooping fool...no one try to board, da? Stay put!" It is precisely Ruin's lowered posture that saves him. The same bullet that barely grazes his shoulder is the same one that pelts Leodhais in the leg. One such blast nails Scheur in his own shoulder. Goldenfur is spared by mere luck, as the stray fire stops moments before he arrives. "Yes, sir," the squadron leader near the Faux says in answer to an invisible voice inside his helmet. "Alright. Start rounding them up. Any civilian who can hear me, come on out. The fighting is over and we promise no harm will come to any of you as long as you obey. Out, arms up." The battle does indeed seem to have stopped as quickly as it began. The landing pad reflects the tolls of such a wild assault, however: the ground is marred in the crimson of spilled life and there are corpses everywhere. "Cannot fight our way out of this," Ace says to her crew, looking down the line behind the crates, "Holster or sling your weapons, move slowly, do as they say." She does the same herself, sliding her pistol home and rising slowly with her arms up. Goldenfur climbs the Teamhair ramp, and asks "I know that I am stupid by coming here in the middle of the heavy fire, but someone need help here?" he turns his head to swifty and raises his right paw, to show her that he is still alive, then he returns again to his on all three position, togheter with Ruin, Leod and Scheur. Leodhais grimaces at the shot, and then bites his lip, standing up as best he can, raising his arms. In Demarese: Swiftfoot winces visibly as the shots hit home on the people around the Teamhair, the end of her tail twitching a bit. "Demar, they'll need help," she mutters. Her eyes shift to the squadron leader, then to the Faux's Kapitan. The ginger Demarian nods at Ace and powers down her weapon, holstering it and getting to her feet slowly, white-furred paws up where they can be plainly seen. Nathan had darted from his cover in pursuit of Goldenfur, but when the firing lets up and the military leader starts shouting orders he brings himself to a halt. It takes a few seconds for the man to decide to comply, and even then he only raises them as high as his own shoulders. He moves slowly then, seeking proximity to another landing strut (without -looking- like he wants to be close to cover). Just in case. Nixkamich scowls at the demand, but upon hearing Ace's command, that scowl softens into a look of neutrality as he nods, slinging his PAR free and his hands empty. Slowly rising to his feet, he follows behind Ace, slightly to the Kaptain's side. Volouscheur was *just* about to dart inside the airlock...and then the firing stops. Not before she gets shot in the shoulder, of course. Her aura flares white, and there's a psionic shriek of pain. Glaring at the squadron leader, she lifts only her good arm; the injured one is wrapped protectively around her abdomen, aura white and silver, with streamers of chestnut wrapping around her; meanwhile, the shoulder of her robe is steadily being dyed magenta. The lack of gunfire, and the bright red stain on Leodhais' slacks, both combine. Ruin pulls one of Leodhais' arms behind his back as he gets to his feet, so that the smaller man can lean against him for support. But the engineer's eyes are tracing back the path of that bullet and his mouth is invisible now, the thin line lost between moustache and beard as he holds the other steady. Kolek looks towards the invading force, putting away his revolver along with the rest of the crew, and raising his hands, sliding to the opposite side of Ace, moving slowly. His eyes dart from Ace to the other force. Jantine sighs a little bit, glancing back inside the airlock again. He pulls out a commlink as he holsters his stun pistol "Not yet...wait to see what happens, get a first aid kit ready. I might need to use it." he says, glancing towards Ruin, Leodh, and Scheur. After that, the commlink is returned to where it came from, and Jan steps out of the airlock, hands up and above his head. Myzata only just has time to finish his questioning of the man before he hears the squadron leaders orders. Not giving the man enough time to answer the initial question, the Timmie addresses him again. "If these are the men you spoke of, dont say a word. If you know something and they know that it could become complicated." Looking down for a moment, the Timmie begins to think. "Come stand up with me, just go with what I say. We're a businees investors from New Luna, just stopping by on a round trip to several prospective planets." Standing up, Myza awaits for the mans reaction. Leodhais keeps his expression neutral, no sign of pain on his face except the slight drawing back of his lips. He leans against Ruin as allowed, keeping his hands raised high in the air. Tiffany ruffles her hair, so that it purposefully covers the datajack up. The woman crouches at first, straightening her dress and jacket out, before slowly standing up with both her hands in the air. A rather sorry look is sent towards the laptop on the ground. She waits for Ace and her crew to go past first, before slipping out to walk behind them. All over the landing pad groups of civilians and captured soldiers who were apparently on the wrong side during the battle are escorted at gunpoint towards an area that has been specially vacated. The Teamhair, Mercy and Faux people are no exception. Wounded or not, everyone is urged towards the designated area and lined up. "You may believe this to be a sad day," a voice emanating from loudspeakers on a landing ship points out, "but you are gravely mistaken. Time will prove that this was the turning point. Bloody, yes, but needed nonetheless." Goldenfur walks toward the designed place, and in hope that no guard will shot him, since he need his hands to walk, he say to the nearest one that since he lack a foot he need to use his arms to walk, and then he proceeds toward the designed place, slowly, but he do not disobey, since he is not in place to fight back. Nathan murmurs, "This is bad," as he and the others are herded together and lined up. "This is so bad. If it's over, why do we need to be where one volley can cut us down?" In Demarese: Swiftfoot wrinkles her snout a bit and looks down at Ace. "You'd think they'd at least let the wounded be tended to," she observes mildly, her forehead furrowing just a bit as her tail flicks erratically. At the sound of the voice from the loudspeakers, her ears lie back reflexively, then perk forward, the Demarian eyeing the newly-arrived ship suspiciously. "If they'd wanted to kill us, they would have done so already," she says, shrugging in reply to Nathan's query. Ruin moves very carefully, letting Leodhais take as much weight off the injured leg as possible by leaning against Ruin's side. "I await your speech on the success of your most glorious revolution," he says shortly. "And then release to our ships so that injuries can be treated." He looks over at Jan as the latter's herded over. "What can you do for Scheur and Leodh?" Kolek looks from Nathan to Tiffany, eyes scanning them a moment before he follows slowly with the Faux crew, teeth gritting together some as he grumbles, "Need a hoopin' Cig.." Leodhais has a look of...oddly enough, serene patience and calm, as he waits patiently for the next step, though his lips are still drawn back slightly. Nixkamich is silent as a monk as walks along with the rest of the crew. He appears to be watching the surronding area quite intently. A few glances to the rest of the crew before looking back forward. Volouscheur sighs softly, ~I wish there weren't so many bad reasons that come to mind, for why they could be herding us all into one area...~ She stays near Ruin, aura remaining white and silver. The cybernetic eyed woman makes her way into line, her shoulders slumping and a rather defeated look on her face. "Shut up and stop drawing attention to yourselves," Tiffany growls in a bitter tone, as she pulls up alongside Kolek. Myzata waits only briefly for the man whom was beside him crying. Shrugging his shoulders at the mans lack of action, the Timmie begins to walk towards the designated area slowly. The loudspeaker dies out with a crackle moments before the ship's airlock hisses open. Soldiers file out from within and form flanking lines. "Those who died today will be remembered as heros, regardless of the side they took," the man who now emerges assures. He wears the same sort of uniform the original invaders had on, except it is black. Behind him trails a figure standing at least four heads above him, body cloaked completely, with a large cowl covering his head. "I know you are all eager to leave. Medical teams will be dispatched to help the wounded and you will be allowed back home or to your ships. You cannot actually leave La Terre until things settle down, but you will be able to soon." The pair moves down the ramp. "Yes, soon. Do not fear. I am not who these events might portray me as. I am... your savior. While the smoldering remains you see before you are symbols of a violent past... I am the future." Jantine sighs a little, letting himself be led away, hands still up, not resisting at all. He glances back towards the Mercy, concern and worry etched onto his face. He looks there for a moment, before he turns back to Ruin "Without a first aid kit, not much. Even if I /had/ a first aid kit I couldn't help Scheur much, don't know much about Vollistan anatomy." he sighs again "If they let me put my hands down, I could tear strips from my shirt and bandage their wounds, it's not much, but it might help to stop the bleeding, and then we can get proper dressings on them whenever I can get my hands on a first aid kit." he blinks slightly at the man and his companion, but falls silent as they speak. "Is pregnant woman with bullet wound," Ace calls over to one of them, "Permission to fetch medical kit to see to her." She continues to walk where indicated, though, keeping her hands in the air as she looks at the rather tall figure that was making the speech. Goldenfur as he reaches the intended place, he grab both crutches on his back, and stands, he stay standing there, looking at the man that just arrived, thinking on who he is, or on who he thinks that he is. Leodhais nudges Ruin and gives him a look and then 'shhhs' Jantine. He then looks to Scheur, trying to offer whatever comfort he can towards her.. Myzata also arrives at the intended place and stands calmly with a slight look of annoyance. Watching various things as theyunfold on the landing area, he drums his hands on his thighs while humming a tune. Volouscheur offers a feeling of comfort to those near her, looking at the pair exiting the airlock. She doesn't say anything, streamers of orange adding themselves to her aura. Nathan is silent after his statement of foreboding, his hands hovering but unsure what they want to do while the 'savior' and his grim-reaper-lookalike shadow move along and address the prisoners. "I am not going to bother to fear a 'glorious liberator'," says Ruin shortly. "We have injured people. Unless pregnant Vollistans and civilian researchers qualify as national threats, I have nothing to fear by getting help for the two of you." He snaps a cold look at the nearest herders. "Do I?" Swiftfoot looks over toward the Mercy's crew somewhat dubiously. "Shut -up-. Quit provoking them, lest you endurre morre gunfirre and take the rrest of us with you." She wrinkles her snout in the beginnings of a snarl, shaking her head and shifting her eyes to the cloaked figure as it appears. The pilot blinks at Ace's statement though, eyes shifting to Scheur, her tail flicking absently as she backs up a step or two, putting herself a little nearer to Kolek and Nixkamich. Kolek gives a slight chuckle as Tiffany speaks, but it turns into a frown, and then a glare as he hear's the man speaking, eyes moving to Ace as she also speaks up. Kolek continues stepping along, remaining quiet, staring coldly at the Mercy's crew. Nixkamich still looks on in silence at the man who seems to be this 'savior'. His look is stern and blank. Whatever hes thinking at moment he is keeping to himself. He glances to the side, seeing Swifty back up towards him, and offers a reasurring nod to her. Tiffany just shakes her head, either at the 'savior' or the people speaking to him. She's not saying a word, and she's not looking up either. Jantine falls silent now, glancing once again to the Mercy with a concerned look on his face. He does offer a slight nod, apparently to no one in particular, before he turns to Ruin, blinking and looking a bit concerned. The nearest herders answer Ruin by ignoring him. "My name is Savant. Do not fear. You are only gathered here so you can listen better," the apparent leader continues, arms spread widely, an almost magnanimous smile across his face. "Once the rubble is cleared out and the dead are properly buried, the spaceways will be open for all of you to leave once more. Ah," he grimaces, hand going to pinch the bridge of his nose as he addresses the cloaked figure, "the stench is horrible. I don't want more dead. Better end this little gathering at once." Before any such command is given, from within the crowd a Defense Force soldier pushes through and takes aim, shooting the black uniformed man right in the chest. Screams of surprise rise up everywhere... and die just as quickly once it is clear that nothing has happened to the intended target. The man who calls himself Savant chuckles as his would-be assassin is brought down by a volley of shots. "Very good," he tells his companion, whose only acknowledgement of the situation is the faintest nod of his hidden head. "Very good. Now, everyone go back to wherever it is you live." Slowly but surely, guards lower their weapons, now granting prisoners their freedom. "Let's go then, before I ruin these pants any further," Leodhais says lightly, nodding to Jan, Scheur and Ruin. "Okay?" there's a slight hitch in his voice as he says it, looking at them almost pleadingly. Ruin turns to Jantine. "Get Scheur on the Star," he says, and starts leading Leodhais there. "Is medical bed on the Faux," Ace calls over to Ruin, "Do not know if the Mercy is fully equipped yet. Can tend to your wounded with us if you need." It's at that nod that the Star of Mercy's port side cargo bay ramp, amidst a flashing of warning yellow lights, starts to lower - the medbay lights inside flickering to life. Goldenfur scrathes his head, then he asks "Any crew need me? I can help both Ruin crew and Ace crew right now..." he turns his head to Swifty and says, not that the things seens to be more calm "Hi Swifty..." Nathan stands there for a few seconds after the dismissal is given, and then slowly puts his hands down while turning to look over the people in the line. His eyes scan up and down before his lips twist into a grimace, and then he starts walking slowly across the landing field toward the shuttle field. Now his attention sweeps over the ground, surveying the faces of the dead. Volouscheur nods, offering a feeling of agreement to Leodh and Ruin. She turns, following Ruin quietly. Her aura flattens to matte green, asides from the wounded arm, which remains white. We are all pawns, pieces of a board manipulated by unseen forces. Such is the basic notion of those who believe in the finality of destinies written in stone. "Tomorrow it starts," Savant tells his cloaked friend as the two of them stride towards customs. Yet what one Voice has promised, those who listen may choose to ignore. For there are no rules in this game: a game of entwined destinies. A game with no rules and only players. "Yes. It shall be done." A game of fates. ---- Category:New_Journeys_Arc_V.5_logs